http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe…

In reference to Varys and "game." A must watch, Mr. Streckert!

I am very excited for next week's episode. George R.R. Martin wrote it! Neil Marshall directed it! There will be an actual battle instead of just talking about a battle, or showing the battlefield AFTER a battle, or showing a battle from the point of view of Tyrion (but then having Tyrion be knocked unconscious before said battle even starts). I would like to see a battle in Game of Thrones already. I would also like to see a crazy nautical/medieval-style battle directed by Neil Marshall. I am very excited.

@ERIK: THERE'S NO BUDGET FOR THAT. THEY'RE JUST GOING TO ANIMATE BIG ARROWS ON A MAP AND DO A VOICE OVER LIKE A KEN BURNS DOCUMENTARY.

:(

My wife fell asleep before it started, woke up afterwards and asked what happened. Other than old lady Stark letting the guy who looks like Sawyer from Lost go free, and her son and the surgeon girl with all the cosmetics getting naked, I really didn't have much to report. I'd be pretty pissed if I we were paying for it.

< (Is Joe)

TSW, that's brilliant. Thank you!

I AM ALSO EXCITED. I really hope that lots of things catch on fire, and dudes kill other dudes, and ships and castles and catapults all go "boom."

I was kind of bummed (unless they expound on this next week) about Arya's exit from Harrenhal. It means we don't get to see the awesome soup bit with Arya freeing Northmen prisoners, or Jaquen H'ghar's shapeshifty bit, or the valar morghulis coin thingy, or Roose Bolton being a weirdo with leeches and stuff.
Gotta say, really the only cut from book to series that has bugged me so far.

The last episode is called Valar Morghulis. I'm betting that Jaquen's freaky shapeshifty bit will be the "oh shit" moment at the end of the season. As for Roose Bolton and leeches, there's still time for that. Bolton has been in a number of Robb-centric scenes and we could get a taste of his eccentricity from Robb's perspective.

What is up with Jon Snow and the wildlings? I don't want to ruin it for anyone that hasn't read the books, but they've sucked all the drama and danger out of that whole scenario and replaced it with pure WTF.

@NEVER ALONE: IT'S OKAY, WE CAN HAVE SPOILERS HERE. THE WILDINGS SACRIFICE JON SNOW TO THEIR DROWNED GOD AT THE END OF THE SECOND BOOK. HE COMES BACK AS A WHITE WALKER AND LEADS THEM IN AN ASSAULT ON KING'S LANDING AT THE END OF THE THIRD BOOK.

Is that actually true graham, or is this another fib to keep things spicy, ala your comment last week about the unburned Stark boys?

Follow your inner voice, Chuck.. it serves you well.